In recent years, the interior and exterior design of buildings and structures, as well as the furnishings therefor, have employed increasing quantities of decorative glass. For example, it is now commonplace for glass sheets to be used in various types of doors such as shower doors, storm doors, patio doors, entry doors, bi-fold doors, and in decorative windows, mirrors, and other furniture and architectural applications. As the scope of architectural and design tastes expands, the industry has become increasingly receptive to glass sheet products which have unique visual effects. Accordingly, cost effective methods for constructing glass sheet products are being sought.
Kessler (U.S. Pat. No. 3,411,258) discloses a plastic false muntin system for giving a large single glass panel the appearance of a window or door with smaller panels. Special caps attach to the window or door frame and plastic grill pieces snap into place about these caps. Cribben et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,284) discloses a false muntin assembly for converting a single window pane into one having multiple panels by using muntin bars which snap onto metal clips that are affixed to the window panel. Likewise, Ouellette et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,840) discloses a window and grill which uses hidden clips to fasten a grill assembly on top of a single large pane of glass. Dazo et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,245) discloses a window or door construction on which muntins are attached on either side of a unitary piece of glass by way of small, spaced apart holes cut through the glass.
One particularly popular glass sheet design, which does not use a false muntin system, simulates traditional brass camed doors and windows. Grooves are formed in the glass surface in a pattern corresponding to a desired caming pattern and simulated caming is laid into the grooves so that the caming is inset in the glass (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,919 to Butler).
There is also known a convenient and cost-effective means and method for effectively simulating beveled glass panes in a decorative glass sheet to give the appearance of a traditional camed glass window or door. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,840,391 to Eichhorn et al. Eichhorn discloses a method for forming a plurality of grooves in a glass panel, including forming a pair of opposed, parallel, spaced apart grooves, the pair of spaced apart grooves relatively positioned such that the respective peripheral walls are disposed adjacent one another and define a platform extending between the grooves. At least one caming strip is adhered to the platform adjacent, between and along the peripheral edges of the spaced apart grooves.
Eichhorn also discloses that the decorative, simulative effect is enhanced when certain parameters are observed. A first wall width is preferably no greater than 15percent of a second wall width. Preferably, each second wall forms an angle with the outer surface of the glass panel of at least 2 degrees. Each first wall should form an angle with the outer surface of the glass panel of at least 45 degrees. Preferably, each groove has an overall width of from about 5 to 30 millimeters, and more preferably of 10 to 20 millimeters. The depth of each groove should not exceed 30 percent of the thickness of the glass panel. The glass sheet thickness is preferably from about 3 to 6 millimeters.
The disclosure in Eichhorn, U.S. Pat. No. 5,840,391, is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. However, Eichhorn is directed to a technique in which caming strips are adhered to a platform formed by adjacent parallel grooves to simulate a camed door or window. The strips must be aligned and affixed by glue or tape. This operation can become tedious.